MOBILE, Ala., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Signifying the transition from concept to reality, General Dynamics and the U.S. Navy today participated in a keel laying ceremony for Littoral Combat Ship 2 (LCS 2), a revolutionary trimaran warship that is part of a family of new U.S. Navy surface ships. Representatives of the Alabama congressional delegation also attended the ceremony, which was conducted at Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, where the warship will be built. Delivery of LCS 2 will occur in late 2007. Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine), a subsidiary of General Dynamics , is leading the General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship Team.
"This milestone marks a significant achievement in the LCS program," said Rear Adm. Charles S. Hamilton, II, program executive officer for ships, "The LCS brings our Naval forces the speed, flexibility and capability we need to face the asymmetric threats of the future."
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said, "Today marks an important milestone as the U.S. Navy embarks on the construction of a new vessel that will carry it to the littorals worldwide. The General Dynamics-Austal partnership returns to Alabama the finest elements of advanced shipbuilding, and I am immensely pleased that we in Alabama are part of this new endeavor."
"The General Dynamics LCS will bring the Navy its needed requirements for mission adaptability, speed and flexibility to operate in littoral waters," Dugan Shipway, president of Bath Iron Works said. "This is a rewarding and exciting day for General Dynamics and our partners. We look forward to delivering LCS 2 in the fall of 2007."
The LCS is the Navy's newest surface combatant and is a key element in the Navy's surface combatant force transformation strategy. Designed to accommodate focused missions modules for mine warfare, antisubmarine warfare and antisurface warfare, among others, LCS will ensure and enhance friendly force access to littoral areas.
The General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship's innovative trimaran hull form will give the Navy a ship that can reach open ocean speeds nearing 50 knots and possesses outstanding seakeeping capabilities. LCS 2, has a flight deck larger than any other surface combatant that will support near-simultaneous operation of two MH-60R/S helicopters or multiple unmanned vehicles. LCS 2 will also provide one of the largest useable payload volumes of any U.S. Navy surface combatant and deliver greater payload per displacement ton than any ship of comparable displacement.
The General Dynamics Team has designed a technical infrastructure that is not bound by proprietary systems. The result is a flexible information technology backbone that uses strict industry standards, commercially available products and published interfaces to ensure the Navy will not be locked into a proprietary system that will limit access to alternatives. The open architecture design eliminates dependencies on any specific hardware and software products thereby making it possible for the Navy to take advantage of rapidly changing advancements in the market place.
Bath Iron Works is leading a best-of-breed team that includes Austal USA (Mobile, Ala.), responsible for building the team's aluminum and steel trimaran warship. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, of Arlington, Va., is leading the ship's open-architecture-based Core Mission System design and integration from its Pittsfield, Mass., facility.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems (Baltimore, Md.) will provide the Integrated Combat Management System, BAE Electronic Systems (Rockville, Md.) will provide the radio communications system and L3 Communications (Leesburg, Va.) the automated ship control system. Maritime Applied Physics Corporation, (Baltimore, Md.), General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (Burlington, Vt.), Electric Boat (Groton, Conn.) and General Dynamics Canada (Ottawa, Ontario) are also team members.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 71,900 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. More information about the company can be found at http://www.generaldynamics.com/.
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